LIVE: Five new cases linked to Auckland cluster

UPDATE 1.05PM: There are five new cases of COVID-19 being reported toay.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says all of the new cases are linked to the Auckland commuity outbreak.

He says there are no imported cases.

Four of today's cases are Auckland based and one is linked to the two cases in Tokoroa and is receiving treatment in Waikato Hospital.

Ashley says there are six people in hospital. One in Auckland City, four in Middlemore and one in Waikato Hospital.

"One person in Middlemore Hospital is in ICU and is in stable condition."

There are 101 active cases and 1304 confirmed cases.

Ashley says of the 80 cases in Auckland, 78 are linked to the cluster with two under investigation - one being the Rydges Hotel maintenance worker and one being a case announced yesterday that was thought to be linked to the cluster but has been reclassified as under investigation because no clear link has been established to the cluster yet.

That person whose case was reclassified today was at St Lukes Mall on the morning of 12 August.

Anyone visiting St Lukes at that time should be alert to symptoms and contact health professionals if feeling sick, says Ashley.

Ashley says a new "strong line of investigation" was being looked at after it was discovered the maintenance worker used the same lift as the woman he is believed to have contracted the virus from, shortly after she had been there.

The nurses who attended the hotel have all returned negative tests so it was unlikely to have been a link, says Ashley.

EARLIER:

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will provide a COVID-19 update at 1pm today.

Yesterday, Ashley reported six new cases of COVID-19.

Five of the new cases are in the community and one was in managed isolation.

Ashley says the one in managed isolation is a woman in her 50s who arrived in New Zealand from Qatar via Sydney.

She had been in isolation in the Sudima Hotel in Rotorua and is now in the quarantine facility in Auckland.

Ashley says the remaining five new cases are linked to the Auckland outbreak.

The total number of cases is now 1299.

There are five people in hospital. One in Auckland City and four in Middlemore.

Yesterday, laboratories carried out 23,038 tests, bringing the total number of tests carried out to date to 639,415.

Ashley says people should only be tested is they are symptomatic or have been close contacts to confirmed cases. He says these people will be directed to have a test by a health professional.

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